nesariafandomcom-20200213-history
Imperial Army
The Imperial Army of the Nesarian Empire has varied throughout history considerably, as technology, doctrine and the functions of the army changed over time. The Imperial Army was the direct continuation of the Nesarian Army of the Republic of Nesaria, which was in turn the direct continuation of the Royal Army of the Kingdom of Ascaria. For most of history, the Imperial Army and its predecessors was based around an elite core of heavy infantry known as Warriors, whose equipment varied over time but was typically geared towards close and aggressive formation fighting, supplemented by auxiliaries made up of both professional and levied soldiers. However, the army became less professional during the "Age of Peace" between the 2nd and 15th centuries AD, and following the proliferation of gunpowder weapons in the late 17th and early 18th century the army became more standardised and had less variety of units. Ancient Period When discussing the army, the "ancient period" broadly refers to the army prior to the Athdusian Reforms undertaken by Emperor Athdus III, which was the first major overhaul of the army. This includes the Royal Army of Ascaria, the Nesarian Army of the Republic of Nesaria, and the early Imperial Army of the Nesarian Empire. Broadly speaking, the army of this period was built around the Warrior core which occupied the centre of the battle line. The battle line was usually split into two or even three rows, with the elite Warriors at the rear and the front line(s) made up of greener, less well-equipped troops. The wings were occupied by cavalry made up of Ascarian nobles and auxiliaries, and there were usually also light auxiliary infantry on the wings who could quickly move to flank enemies pinned down by the heavier Warriors. The Warriors of this period wielded a large, slightly curved rectangular shield with a fairly short sword, and two to three javelins to hurl at the enemy before either delivering or receiving a charge. These javelins were designed to deform on impact so that they could not be picked up and thrown back. The quality of their armour varied with how wealthy the soldier was, but most were outfitted with at the least a steel mail hauberk atop gambeson, bronze or steel greaves, and a distinctive open-faced helmet with a brow ridge, flared plate to cover the back of the neck and hinged cheek-plates, with the helmets of the officers sporting crests. Early Imperial Period The "early Imperial period" refers to the army after the Athdusian Reforms and up until approximately 160 AD, when the army began to transform as its purpose and organisation changed. Athdus' reforms were inspired by the ancient way of war of the Eshérians and Mortians, and he recognised the value of having superior reach to the enemy. He also learned from the Nesarian War of Succession, where he learned just how powerful cavalry could be, and understood the necessity of having a heavy infantry unit capable of pinning the enemy down in preparation for a devastating cavalry attack - the "hammer and anvil" tactic that was also used by King Philip II and Alexander the Great of Macedon. Pikemen Athdus' reforms resulted in the establishment of another core elite infantry unit which took the centre of the line, the pikemen, equipped with very long (around six metres in length) two-handed and double-pointed pikes and a small round shield strapped to the right arm. For armour, the majority of them wore simple gambeson (although those who could afford it wore a mail hauberk on top and whatever steel plates they could manage) with bronze or steel greaves, arm-guards and a helmet derived from the old helmets of the Warriors, but more conical in shape and with a reinforced ridge running across its length. The pikemen were organised into the "hedgehog" ("melosa") formation, which English speakers often call a phalanx, which was a dense block of soldiers organised into tight lines, which combined with the very long pikes allowed soldiers even four ranks back to still have a chance to attack the enemy. A single "hedgehog" was made up of ideally 140 soldiers (seven ranks deep and twenty men per rank), but in practice between 100 and 120 (between five and six ranks deep). Each hedgehog was commanded by an NCO from amongst the ranks, and three hedgehogs were grouped together as a Casomelosa (literally "three-hedgehog"), usually shortened to simply Caso, which was commanded by a commissioned officer, usually a nobleman. The pikemen required stricter and more intense drilling in order to keep the close formation compared to the looser and more fluid formations of the Warriors, however their actual method of fighting was much easier to learn and relied less upon strength and skill, and this - combined with the cheaper equipment of the pikemen - allowed the Imperial Army to field a substantial number of them, entirely doing away with the need to recruit auxiliaries or mercenaries to make up the main battle-line - however such soldiers still made up the bulk of skirmishers and archers. Warriors The Warriors changed from being the core heavy infantry unit to one that supplemented the less flexible line of pikemen, with their formations adapted for manoeuvrability rather than solidity, and their equipment was changed somewhat to reflect this. The Warriors were moved from the centre of the battle-line to the flanks, initially much to their chagrin, but once they actually got into battle they took up their new role with gusto as it saw them taking a more decisive and "hands-on" role in battle compared to their old role of holding down the centre. The size of the shields of the Warriors was reduced slightly (to somewhere around 70% of its old size) to improve the agility of the soldier, and the sword was increased in length and made non-standard; Warriors began to equip themselves with axes, hammers and maces, which became the predominant weapons in the War Against the Xaenis as it was difficult to break through the tough carapaces of the Xaenis with the swords. The javelins were also lightened and slightly shortened, compromising on effectiveness to reduce weight, again with the aim of improving agility. The gambeson beneath the metal armour of the Warriors was reduced somewhat in thickness, but compensated for by the introduction of sophisticated steel plate armour mixed with steel mail. Most wore segmented plates on the shoulders and arms, and those with a little extra to spend also had it across their torso. Their helmet had also evolved, becoming a little more conical in shape with two reinforced ridges (rather than just the one used by the pikemen) and a nose-guard (which the one used by pikemen lacked), and most also began to wear mail coifs underneath their helmets. Some of the officers also wore more expensive semi-enclosed or enclosed helmets of varying styles, but they kept their crests. Cavalry The most dramatic change was to the cavalry, who utilised the relatively new inventions of the cantled saddle, stirrups and spurs to their fullest extent, becoming a devastating heavy shock force compared to the light horsemen of old. Their purpose was to destroy the enemy cavalry if it was present, and to deliver a devastating charge to the flanks and/or rear of the enemy once they were pinned down by the pikemen and Warriors; the hammer that struck the anvil. The cavalry were equipped with long lances (around five metres long) and long swords with a distinctive asymmetrical hand-guard, which, after contact with the Estemorians, were largely swapped for curved sabres, although maces became widespread after fighting with the more heavily armoured Osdarthians and the Xaenise with their tough carapaces. They also carried an oval-shaped shield, which transitioned into a kite shield after contact with the Indissians, whose cavalry used this shield shape to great effect. Some carried with them light javelins, and most of the cavalry of Estemorian origin (but few of Nesarian origin) carried composite bows. The cavalry wore the most protective armour in the known world at the time, covered head to toe in steel plates and, where they would not fit, mail, with gambeson beneath. They also wore enclosed helmets with a distinctive plume, the rank of the soldier determined by its colour: white was a rank-and-file cavalryman, red was an NCO, and purple was a commissioned officer. The famous cavalry commander Velu Hanesca also had deer antlers attached to his helmet. The cavalry were split into two groups, imaginatively known as the "lights" and the "heavies". The difference between these two is that the heavies also armoured their horse, covering them in steel scales atop gambeson, whereas the lights rode unarmoured or only lightly armoured horses. The heavies tended to be the most devastating in battle, but their horses tired much faster than those of the lights. The cavalry were organised into cohorts of approximately 80 horsemen, who were trained to ride in both the rectangular formation, which maximised the initial shock of the charge but was not very manoeuvrable and was less competent when bogged down in extended combat, or the wedge formation, which was a more agile formation that allowed the unit to quickly turn - even mid-charge - and it also tended to cut deeper into the enemy lines. Taking inspiration from the Estemorians, this shape was switched to the diamond, which required more intensive training but had improved manoeuvrability. Peaceful Period Although any student of history who has learned about the Time of Troubles will know that the "peaceful period" did not always live up to its name, this period did see an unprecedented time of peace as there were very few armed conflicts, which led to the army becoming decentralised and less professional but larger in size as it took on the role of a peacekeeping and policing force rather than one intended to conquer and fight pitched battles. The "peaceful period" lasted from approximately 160 to 1450, when Empress Hana I began reforms in preparation for the Mongol War of 1461-3. The pikemen disappeared from the scene entirely, and the Warriors lost their status as an elite heavy infantry core, transitioning to somewhat lighter soldiers who were predominantly trained how to fight rebels and bandits rather than opposing armies, often in urban settings. The state mainly used these soldiers as a kind of proto-police force, and when a time of conflict did actually arise - such as in the Time of Troubles - they were used alongside peasant levies, who typically wore little more than gambeson and a nasal helm, carrying a spear, shield and usually either an axe or a sword. Many bemoaned the perceived degeneration of the Imperial Army during this time, however the maintenance of a highly professional centralised army was simply both useless and expensive during this time. Military tradition, however, did begin to degrade over time, and the quality of the officers was, to put it lightly, variable. Warriors The Warriors of this period no longer carried javelins as standard (although some carried them at their own expense), and they used a round rather than rectangular shield, held with a vertical rather than horizontal handle, similar in appearance to the northern Germanic shields of the early middle ages. Their primary weapon was now also a one-handed spear, and for their secondary weapon they generally used whichever weapon they preferred and could afford, with a great variety between different types of swords, axes, hammers and maces. Their armour became less expensive and extensive, and although the wealthier soldiers could afford to enclose themselves in plate, most wore a mail hauberk over gambeson, sometimes wearing steel plates over the shoulders. Their helmet remained largely the same as the Warriors of the Early Imperial Period, but the extended plate that covered the neck began to fall out of fashion, and the cheek-plates also became less common as virtually every soldier now wore a mail coif underneath the helm which protected the cheeks well enough already. Most officers of this period also chose to substitute their crest for a plume, in the style of the cavalry. Cavalry The cavalry saw comparatively little change, although their numbers were greatly diminished, and the diamond formation eventually fell out of use completely. Enclosing the horse in armour began to fall out of fashion, but the wealthier soldiers still gave them some protection in the form of steel plates here and there. In contrast, the riders only became more armoured as technology progressed, becoming fully enclosed in sophisticated steel plate armour by the 10th century, so well-covered with metal that many did not even know how to kill them, even after they were dragged off their horse. The armourers began to apply mathematical theory to their armour, devising curved shapes that deflected strikes away rather than taking the full force of the hit, and armour designs also became more artistic, incorporating aesthetic designs (often inspired by the cavalryman's nation of origin), fluting and bronze (or, for the wealthier ones, gold) trim. This more sophisticated armour was affordable to the cavalry because, while the wages of the army as a whole stagnated during this time, the wages for the cavalry skyrocketed, inflated by the cavalrymen themselves as they asked for higher pay due to their progressively increasing demand. Renaissance Period The "renaissance period" takes its name not only from the fact that this period began in 1450 in the Renaissance era, but also because it represented a "renaissance" in Imperial military tradition, when the Imperial Army once again took up the role of conquerors and the organisation harkened back to earlier doctrines. The renaissance period lasted until approximately 1520. Glorious Period The "glorious period" lasted from approximately 1520 to 1700, and it was so named because it saw the Empire expand to grand new heights, growing to many times its size before the Mongol War, and although the Empire's expansion was not rapid, the wars were carefully chosen and almost always ended in victory. This more careful approach is generally indicative of their style of battle during this time. Early Gunpowder Period The "early gunpowder period" lasted from approximately 1700 to 1800 and it saw the proliferation of gunpowder weapons into the Imperial Army. Firearms had been present in the army since the 1610s, but they were not adopted on a mass scale until this period. Late Gunpowder Period The "late gunpowder period" lasted from approximately 1800 to 1900, although this can itself be split into two distinct phases lasting from 1800-1850 and 1850-1900, where muzzle-loaders were dominant in the first phase and breech-loaders were dominant in the second phase. Modern Period The "modern period" encompasses the Imperial Army from 1900 to today, and there is not a great deal to say on this front. The army largely followed the development of every other contemporary major military force, learning hard lessons from WW1 and transitioning to a more mobile combined arms form of war by WW2, and steadily sliding into the more asymmetric, highly professionalised style of war practiced by the great powers today, maintaining a small but highly trained and well-equipped elite army.